Lock



A. WINKELMANN.

LOCK.

APPLICATION man suns 14. 1920.

1921. 2 SH EETSSHEET 1.

Patented Dec. 20,

dzfrry PATENT oFFicE.

.AL'BERT WINKELIVIANN, PARIS, FRANCE;

LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. 20, 1921.

Application filed me 14., 1320. Serial No. 389,053.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT VVINKEL- MANN, engineer, citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a specification.

. The invention relates to combination locks and has for its principal object the construc tion of articles of this class in such manner as to afford greater safety and simplicity of construction than has been hitherto obtained. It also consists chiefly in the use of locking slides for holding the principal lock bolt in fixed position together with rotating means for independently actuating the slides. The invention also contemplates the use of certain other arrangements to be hereinafter set forth in a more explicit manner and especially in the addition of a supplementary locking member engaging the principal lock bolt and controlled by a cam actuated by a star-shaped member.

Heretofore combination locks have been so constructed that an audible click or sound has been produced when the combination elementswere turned to the bolt releasing position. This click or sound is objectionable because it often enables an unauthorized person to work out the combination by turning the combination elements until this click is heard. An important feature of the present invention resides'in the construction whereby the slides move noiselessly into and out of the bolt locking position, thus making it impossible to hear when the parts have been moved to the bolt releasing position. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the drawings.

This invention is fully set forth in the following description together with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good practical form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section along the line l1, Fig. 2 of a lock of the combination type according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the cover plate removed, the ratchet wheels and its cooperating pawls being omitted from two of the shafts to better show the remaining parts.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the middle shaft showing the elements mounted thereon.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same along the line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. l is an elevation of the said lock, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are elevation and plan views of an operating button.

According to this invention and more especially'according to the embodiment more particularly set forth in the drawing it is proposed for instance to construct a lock of the combination type this being effected in the following or lilre manner.

A plate metal box or casing is constructed in the usual manner containing a partition or middle plate a, a transverse member 6, the side walls 0 and a cover plate (Z. A main lock bolt 0 is constructed in such manner that it shall be slidable upon the middle plate at, having at one end thereof a longitudinally extending opening which slidably receives when the said lock bolt is mounted on the middle plate a stud e adapted to guide the said lock bolt in the movements thereof, the stud being'secured to the wall 0 situated opposite the transverse member 5, the other end of the lock bolt being engaged in an opening of the same form disposed in the transverse member 5. The said lock bolt is provided with an internal and downwardly extending longitudinal edge or rib 6 having a plurality of out out portions or notches 6 adapted to engage a like number of slides when the bolt is moved to either its protracted or retracted position. Upon the upwardly projecting edge of the said lock bolt and opposite the middle ,plateris disposed the rack f engaging a pinion f mounted on and actuating by a shaft 7, the pinion actuates the lock bolt, and is operated on the side next the middle plate by the milled head f secured to the shaft 7 and on the other side next the cover plate by a second milled head f. The said shaft f is mounted in such manner as to pass through the lock bolt 6 which latter is provided with the slot 6 to clear the shaft when the ball is moved upon operating the pinion 7".

In order that the lock bolt may be yieldingly retained in either its retracted or protracted position, the bolt is provided upon oneface of the projecting portion 6 with two shallow recesses g and engaging at the ends of the stroke the end of a rod 5/ impelled by the spring 9 and constituting a yielding catch bolt, the said rod 9 being slidably mounted in a supporting member secured to the middle plate a.

The mechanism for retaining the lock bolt 6 in either its protracted or retracted position includes a plurality of slides h, which can be for instance three in number. Each slide 72. is provided with a dovetailed base portion h cooperating with and slidable in a .guideway of the same shape mounted upon the middle plate perpendicular to the main lock bolt 6, each of the slides being disposed in such manner as to lie opposite one of the said notches 6 when the bolt 6 is at the end of its stroke, and each slide has a portion constructed to enter one of said notches and it nicely therein to hold the bolt against movement. The portion of each slide h that moves within a notch e constitutes an abutment that blocks movement of the lock bolt 6, and each of said portions has a groove or clearance passage 72 formed across it to receive the edge e of the lock bolt, the dimensions of the grooves being such that when the slides are moved in such manner as to bring the grooves in alinement with the edge c the main lock bolt can be retracted, inasmuch as the edge 6 thereof will now enter the grooves h of the slides.

The means for operating the slides 72. so that the grooves 723 formed therein may be moved into or out of alinement with the edge e of the bolt will now be described.

The lock casing is provided with a plurality of rotatable shafts i which extend transversely through the casing and are mounted substantially in alinement with the slides 'l t, and each shaft is provided with an eccentric i mounted thereon and rotated thereby. Each eccentric 2" is operatively connected to a slideh by an eccentric arm 11 the same having one end secured to' the slide by a screw 2' andhas the opposite end provided with a collar 2" constructed to embrace the eccentric. The construction is such that rotation of any one of the shafts a will impart a reciprocating movement to the corresponding slide it to move the end of V the slide within the notches 6 into or out of bolt locking position.

The shafts i may be manually rotated by milled heads 7' secured to the ends of the shafts projecting from one side of the lock casing, and by milled heads 7' secured to the 7 ends of the shafts projecting from the opposite side of the lock casing.

7 To indicate the position :to which each. 7 shafti should beturned to move the slide operated thereby to the unlocked position,

' dials may be formed upon one or, if desired,

both sides of the lock casing about the shafts 1' 1 and the shafts, may be provided with pointerswhich are moved over the faces of will still be unable to retract the bolt 6.

the dialsv as the shafts are rotated. It is desirable to provide means for preventing the shafts 2' from being accidentally rotated, and to this end each shaft h preferably has a ratchet wheel m secured thereto which is provided with as many teeth as there are figures on each dial, and a pawl is provided for each ratchet wheel to drag over the same and retard the rotation of the ratchet wheel and shaft. The pawls on are secured to a wall of the lock casing by a pivot pin g and are provided with springs for holding them in engagement with the ratchet wheels.

From the construction so far described it will be seen that the .lock bolt 0 may be projected by rotating the shaft 7" provided with the milled heads F", f, and it may be locked in its projected position by rotating The shafts c are so disposed that upon the V I V removal of the milled heads the shafts can be actuated without rotating the eccentrics, and in this manner any su table figures can be chosen upon the respective dials in order to form the number of the combination whereby the lock bolt can be operated. For this purpose the shafts-i pass 'rotatably through the ratchet wheels m and eccentrics 2' so that the shaftsmay be rotated withoutrotating' these elements, and the ratchet wheel and eccentric upon each shaft are rigidly connected by a sleeve 5' extending from one to the other as shown in Each milled head j is, preferably provided with a set screw or the like (not shown) by which it may be removedfrom or rigidly. secured to a shaft 2', andeach milled head is provided with studs j (Figs. 5 and 6) engaging radial teeth m 2) formed in the ratchet wheel to, thereby secure the milled head to the ratchet wheel in different positions of adjustment. This construction permits the milled heads i and shafts i to be rotated without rotating the eccentrics when it is desired to change the combination of the lock.

It may be desirable tov so construct the combination lock that if an unauthorized person should find out the combinationQhe V In the present instance of the invention thisis accomplished .by so constructing the parts 7 that it is not only necessary to jrotate each shaft i to the predetermined position, but, before the bolt, 6 may be retracted, it is also necessary to give the middle shaft 2' a predetermined number of' complete rotations. The construction is such that the number of complete rotations that must be imparted to the middle shaft before the bolt can be retracted may be readily changed each time the bolt 6 is projected, and tothis end the middle shaft 2' is so constructed in the present instance that it must be given five complete rotations to move the parts operated thereby from one bolt releasing position to the next bolt releasing position. Therefore when the bolt 6 is projected the middle shaft may be given, say three complete rotations and left in this position, then before retracting the bolt 6, the middle shaft must be given two more complete rotations in addition to adjusting each shaft is accordance with the combination. In this manner the number of rotations to be imparted to the middle shaft to make the five complete rotations, will be known only to the person who last operated the look.

In the embodiment illustrated, the middle plate a has a pin 7 slidably mounted thereupon and positioned so that when the main bolt e is projected into its strike plate or lock staple, the pin n cooperates with a corresponding hole 02" provided in the said main lock bolt, the said locking pin being held in contact with a bolt 6 by means of a spring a and is moved by the cam into looking engagement with the bolt 6. The said bolt is actuated in order to effect the engagement or the release of the pin n through the medium of a notched star-shaped member p mounted on the shaft 0 of the cam 0 and actuated by a member 9 mounted on one of the shafts t employed for actuating the bolt members it. Should for instance five branches be given tothe said star-shaped member, it would be required when the looking pin n is engaged to give five revolutions to the shaft 71 actuating the said starshaped member, for instance the middle shaft, in order to effect the release of the said additional locking pin a. If there-fore an unwarranted person should possess the combination number for operating the lock, it will sufiice to efface the combination or change it temporarily by simply rotating the central milled head a certain known amount, in such manner that when the said person attempts to reproduce the combination he will be unable to open the lock, inasmuch as the additional locking pin will remain engaged in the corresponding hole in the lock bolt, and to release the same it will be necessary to give the shaft i provided with the member g a sufficient number of rotations to bring the notch in the member f into; engagement with the pin n.

,To the look as hereinbefore described can be added a spring latch bolt 1" controlled by the spring r and operated either directly by means of a head r or through any other preferred means.

The main lock bolt 0 can also be constructed in such manner that it can be connected by suitable means to other lock bolts, for instance when the lock is intended for use on a safe, whereby the operation of the said main lock bolt shall also effect the operation of the other lock bolts connected thereto.

It is of course understood that this invention is not limited to the construction herein disclosed as various changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a combination lock, the combination of a reciprocating bolt, means for retracting and projecting said bolt, a plurality of independently movable slides each having spaced abutments with a clearance passage between them, the abutments being adapted normally to block retraction of the bolt and movable to a position between the ends of the path of travel of the-slides to release the bolt, a separate manually rotatable means for operating each slide, and a connection between each rotatable means and its slide constructed and arranged to positively move the slides into and out of the bolt dogging position.

v 2. In a combination lock, the combination of a reciprocating bolt, means for retracting and projecting said bolt, a plurality of slides independently movable into and out of doggingengagement with the bolt, a separate manually rotatable eccentric for operating each slide, and a connection between each eccentric and its slide adapted to positively move the slides both to and from the bolt dogging position, said eccentric having an unlimited rotative movement in either direction to position the slide.

8. In a combination lock, the combination of a reciprocating bolt, means for retracting and projecting said bolt, a plurality of slides independently movable into and out of dogging engagement with the bolt, a separate manually rotatable means for operating each slide, a connection between each rotatable means and its slide constructed and arranged to positively move the slides into and out of the bolt dogging position, and additional dogging means for the sliding bolt operable from one of said manually operable means.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a reciprocating bolt having a plurality of spaced shoulders, means for retracting and projecting said bolt, a plurality of slides each having a portion positioned to engage one of said shoulders to normally block retraction of the bolt and each of said portions having a groove positioned to be alined with the adjacent shoulder to permit the shoulder to pass into the groove as the bolt is retracted, and rotatable means for independently operating said slides to move the groove of each slide into the bolt releasing position.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a reciprocating bolt, means for retracting and projecting said bolt, a plurality of slides independently movable into and out of dogging engagement with the bolt, separate, manually rotatable means for independently moving each slide to and from dogging engagement With the bolt, and additional dogging means for said bolt controlled by one of said rotatable means and operable to release the bolt only upon imparting a predetermined number of complete rotations to the rotatable: means which controls it,

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a reciprocating bolt, means for retracting and projecting said bolt, a

plurality of slides independently movable into and out of dogging engagement with the bolt, separate marmallyv operable means for independently moving each slide out of dogging engagement with the bolt, an additional dogging means including a bolt engaging member, a notched starshaped member rotatably mounted for controlling said bolt-engaging member, and means operated by one of said manually operable means for imparting a stepped movement to the star shaped member. v

7. In acombination lock, the combination of a reciprocating bolt, means for retracting and projecting said bolt, a plurality of slides independently movable into and out of dogging engagement with the bolt and constructed to normallydog the bolt, said slides constructed to release the bolt when they are moved to a position intermediate the ends of the path traveled by the slides, and. manually'rotatable means for independently and positively moving the slides'to and from the bolt releasing position.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of a witness.

I ALBERT NINKELMANN'. Witness l E. PELLIZ. 

